The Officer's Ball
by silentnights626
Summary: Abbie, required to attend the annual Officer's Ball, but recent events give a hint that now is not the best time for a party.


**Hi Guys,**

**So I write fics (if you can't tell) and I wrote one for Sleepy Hollow (my new tv fav). It will be about 3 chapters long (I think). Thanks so much for clicking this bad boy and I have to say I'm pretty excited about this new fandom (although it's showing signs of old fandoms I have left so I hope that kinda stops) LOL. **

**So writing in Ichabod's voice is kinda a struggle for me so I hope to get better with that. And don't mind my typos. I'm kinda a sloppy writer (working on both things)**

**So I always ask my readers to do three things for me (well really two with the option of a third) Please:**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review (If ya wana)**

* * *

It was a very informal invitation. Actually it was more of a direct order, as everything out of Irving's mouth seemed to be. However, the words still pitted a ball of curiosity in the pit of Ichabod's stomach. "A Ball?" he asked, stepping into the private conversation between Irving and Abbie.

"Yes, Crane" Irving sighed, already aggravated by the large Brits presences and it was fairly early in the day "The annual Police Officer's Ball. And I am requiring Lieutenant Mills to attend." he declared authoritatively turning his full attention to Abbie.

"But Captain-" Abbie started to protest.

"No buts Mills!" Irving interrupted his disobedient officer "I am requiring you to be there, dressed appropriately, well groomed, pleasant and ready to socialize with potential donors. This is an order." he explained as he stepped closer to her, once again cutting Ichabod out of the conversation physically "I've given you and your 'friend here' " he hushed in a low tone, nodding towards Ichabod, although he failed to ever look in his direction " a great deal of leeway including a bat cave in the station where you two can hold your 'secret supernatural club house meetings'. Now you will do this, not as a favor, but as you granting me the respect as your commanding officer." He gave a lingering stare, showing that he was serious, and in no way taking no for an answer.

Abbie sighed, blinking slowly before licking her lips. "Yes sir" she relented knowing that this a battle she had no chance of winning.

"Good" he nodded stepping away from his reporting officer. "Now perk up" he smiled slightly, before turning to go back to his office "it is a party, after all" he closed before leaving their view.

"UGH!" Abbie exclaimed while falling limp into her desk chair, tossing her head back, her eyes to the ceiling.

"I take it you're not elated about the prospects of the ball?" Ichobod observed stepping up to her desk.

"I don't have time for this. _WE_, don't have time for this" she answered more to herself. "We have a Demon running around town, ordering others, including one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, to start the rapture, but I am required to go to a Police Ball?" she questioned. "No," she quickly stood up answering her own question "Irving is looking to babysit us" she determined

"I think- wait?" Ichabod stopped abruptly turning to face is partner "Us?"

"Yes" Abbie grinned realizing he wasn't aware of his required presence "Irving has also ordered me to bring you with me"

"Well then," Ichabod paused, his mind quickly trying to adjust to the idea that he would too be attending the event. "I guess I have to find a seamstress" he mumbled to himself. "When is this 'Officers Ball'? A week? Two?"

"Tonight" she sighed rubbing the back of her neck, feeling the knots of tension quickly rising in it.

"Tonight!?" He scoffed "Well that is not possibly enough time for me to procure the proper materials to go to a Ball." he plopped down onto her desk.

"Well you don't have a choice" Abbie answered "Neither do I" she grumbled. She suddenly sat up, pulling out her cellular phone. He fingers quickly ran over the screen, as she performed a quick search. She silently chewed on her bottom lip as she waited, tapping the screen franticly. Finally she nodded "Let's go" while abruptly standing from her desk, snatching her coat from the back of her chair.

"Where are we going Lieutenant?" Ichabod stood quickly, taking large strides in order to keep up with her quick, shorter legs.

"We're going to see a friend" she explained cryptically before leaving the station, Ichabod right at her side.

Abbie drove quickly across town, stopping only to grab a cup of coffee, allowing Ichabod time to grab a doughnut. They stopped in front of a row of small shops in town. "We're here" she declared swiftly before getting out of the car.

"And where exactly is here?" Ichabod quizzed looking around, for any symbol or sight that would assist in answering his question as he walked behind Abbie, following her into one of the shops.

"Hey Jacob" she smiled friendly embracing a short stout man who, although his face seemed youthful, seemed to be balding prematurely." I have an immense favor to ask you" she smiled sweetly in an attempt to grease the wheels to insure a yes.

"Hey, anything thing for you Abbie" the stout man smiled patting her on her shoulder. "The one person who understood what I was going through, and stood up for me can always ask me for anything"

Ichabod looked around, his eyes scanning the small room, running them over the many fabrics and headless, models, sending a bit of uneasiness in his bones. He allowed his long fingers to run down the smooth textiles draped over one of the motionless figures.

"He needs a suit for the ball... Tonight" she smiled stepping to the side, presenting her companion to her friend. "Ichabod Crane? This is my long time friend Jacob Townsen." Ichabod stuck out his hand, shaking the slightly moist palm of the other man, who was smiling broadly, and shaking his back, furiously.

"Tonight?" Jacob faltered looking at his friend "Abbie you know I'll do anything for you, but tonight is really pushing it"

"I know" she admitted, guilt stirring in her for the size of the favor "And I wouldn't normally ask you for something so big, but we're in a crunch here" she pleaded. "I need something for him tonight. Please tell me I count on you?" she fell short of begging, batting her lashes a bit.

"Oh" Jacob sighed, softening "Alright, he won't be Oscars worthy, but I'll work some magic"

"Thanks so much Jacob" she smiled, relieved. "Okay Ichabod" she turned to the man towering over her, at her side. "I'm leaving you in Jacob's more than capable hands, while he fits you for tonight" she smiled placing a hand on Jacobs round shoulder. "I'll be back in an hour and a half" she announced as she made her way past Ichabod towards the door.

"Lieutenant?" Ichabod asked stopping her in her tracks. "Where, will you be?"

"Handling personal business" she answered nonchalantly. "Don't worry though, I trust Jacob. He's a real friend." she reassured her unofficial partner noticing his slight separation anxiety. "And don't let him pick anything too expensive or too frilly" she called around Ichabod to Jacob. "I don't want him looking like Prince."

"Why wouldn't you want me to look like Royalty?" Ichabod questioned, feeling a bit insulted "Surely you wouldn't have me look like a pauper?"

"No, not 'A Prince', " Abbie clarified quickly remembering that most of her references that pertain to events before the end of the Revolutionary War, would have to be explained. "but 'Prince'. He is a singer" she quickly waived off not wanting to explain. "Jacob knows what I'm expecting. One hour?" She asked again around Ichabod's long torso.

"I do" Jacob agreed, ushering Ichabod away from the door. "See you in an hour" he called to Abbie as the small bell rang as she left the shop. Ichabod smiled awkwardly to the smaller man as he cheerfully clapped his hands announcing "Let's get started!"

Jacob quickly went to work, placing swatches of fabric next to Ichabod's skin finally settling on a deep midnight blue as the color that would fit best with his cool pale complexion. He then pulled a tuxedo in the corresponding color from his collection, insisting that Ichabod "Try it on" in the back dressing area. Ichabod obliged, reasoning if Abbie would be comfortable enough to trust Jacob, he could follow suit, believing in the deeply guarded woman's judgment. He silently slipped on the jacket and trousers, both a bit too short, and too roomy for his thin, wiry frame. He stepped out of the dressing room his arms extended showing that he would obviously need more fabric.

"Well, we have some work to do, don't we?" Jacob mused before instructing Ichabod to step onto a small platform facing a three way mirror. He quickly started pinning and prodding the fabric as Ichabod stood still, moving only when directed.

"So you are one of the Lieutenant's comrades?" Ichabod questioned attempting to create a conversation with this complete stranger.

"Leftenate?" Jacob questioned, unfamiliar with the term. "Who, Abbie?"

"Indeed" Ichabod confirmed.

"Oh, yeah" Jacob smiled, going back to his pinning work. "She and I go way back. Back to the foster home, her first, my third" he revealed unconsciously over sharing."The kids there would pick on me, for, you know, being smaller. A runt. But Abbie, she would stop them. She protected me many times, until I was placed in another home. I owe her" he sighed.

Ichabod nodded, interested in another narrative of an adolescent Abbie. He allowed Jacob's voice to wash over him, while he gazed into the mirrors ahead of him. Suddenly, the reflection disintegrated from the store, to a wooded landscape. Panic stole Ichabod's voice as his eyes darted between the three panels. In one was an inaudible Katrina, silently screaming words that never reached his ears, but the panic on her face read that it was important. On the left were the four menacing white trees, all in a row, with the large nest of sticks in front of them. Darting his eyes one last time, he saw him. The one who was creating all of the current havoc that he and Abbie faced. The one who summoned the Horseman, and in turn him, from his death like slumber. His horns curled under where his a human man's ears would lie, his long digits reaching out to him, seemingly beyond the plane of the mirror. Wordlessly he called to Ichabod, chilling his blood, almost stopping his heart again. Unconsciously, Ichabod whispered his name "Molach"

With the last syllable the mirror shattered with a defining crash, sending small shards of glass forward upon the two men. Jacob jumped, accidentally stabbing Ichabod in the process with a pin in his ankle. Ichabod, bound from pain in his leg and fright, falling off of the platform. His breathing rapid, matching time with his heart beat. "I'm sorry" he apologized to Jacob, feeling that he had, somehow summoned the demon, inviting evil into this small shop.

"What are you apologizing for?" Jacob questioned "You were in front of me the whole time. You didn't break it" he said crawling away from the mess, wiping his moist brow with a handkerchief. Ichabod's eyes darted back to the broken mirror, unsure if his assessment of the event was true or not. "Here" Jacob sighed still looking around in a vain attempt to find how his mirror seemingly exploded for no obvious reason. "Get out of those clothes, while I clean up."

Ichabod nodded, as he slinked into the dressing room, after pulling the final pin from his ankle.

By the time Ichabod came back with his suit in hand, Jacob had just concluded sweeping up the glass, throwing the last of the shards away. With a ding of the bell, Abbie entered into the shop. Looking around she assessed the damage. "Wha-" she whispered walking towards the shattered mirror. "What happened here?"

"Oh, just a freak accident" Jacob waived off, brushing his hands together before taking the suit from Ichabod's still uneasy hands. Abbie's mahogany eyes darted straight to Ichabod's blue ones to get a clear understanding of the incident. His ice cold stare indicated that the real reason would be discussed later, out of ear shot of others. "It'll be a rushed job" Jacob continued, failing to notice the silent conversation between the other parties in the room. "But come back in about two and a half hours, and it should be ready enough to get him through tonight" he smiled broadly.

"Work your magic" Abbie smiled, quickly ushering Ichabod towards the shop door. "We'll be back in two and a half hours Jacob" she called over her shoulder, practically pushing her partner out of the door.

Once her driver side door was securely shut, Abbie quickly turned her head, in barely enough time to get out "What happened?!"

"Well" Ichabod began while replaying the event in his mind "I was gazing into the mirrors, as Jacob simultaneously worked on my seams, and entertained me with stories of your shared youth. When, out of nowhere, the refection transferred from me in the quaint shop, into the woods. The four ominous trees that held you and Ms. Jenny captive as children, Katrina yelling inaudibly, and-" he paused leaning in closer to Abbie before whispering "Well, we are both aware of who, came and shattered the mirror." he explained.

Abbie nodded slowly facing the windshield, processing everything she was just told. "He's escalating" she explained after a pregnant pause. "He's escalating, but I don't know why" she sighed. "But I have a 'Ball' to attend so I don't have time to find out why" she huffed, starting the car angrily.

After a short drive, Abbie pulled the car over, ordering Ichabod to "Stay here"

"Why must I stay in the car this time?" he questioned, finding the need for him to be contained in a locked vehicle becoming old.

"Because, I have to find a dress... And shoes... and under- I have to shop!" Abbie explained away before revealing her entire shopping list to her friend.

"And what, pray tell, where you doing while I was being fitted and simultaneously attacked?" Ichabod inquired.

Abbie smiled a deviously before explaining "Getting waxed"

"Waxed?" Ichabod questioned "I had no ideal you also were trained in technique of candle making" he said a bit impressed. "But I don't understand how that would assist in your preparations for a formal ball"

She smiled shaking her head. "Right Crane" she chuckled sarcastically knowing that he didn't fully understand her phrasing. "Candle making. Look, just stay in the car" she repeated, swinging her legs out of the door. "Oh, and no looking in the mirror" she added, before slamming the door behind her.

He visually followed her into the store, not taking his eyes off of her, until she was sound inside of its doors. Then, like a child, Ichabod became fidgety. He started pressing the lock button on the passenger side door, happy that his NorthStar friend had explained its use. He pressed other buttons, that didn't respond to any of his physical pressing, needing the engine to be running to reveal their uses. When he quickly tired of that, Ichabod pressed the one button he knew would cause a response no matter if the car was on or not.

"NorthStar, this is Marcus. How may I help you today Ms. Mills?" a deep voice cheerfully greeted him.

"Good afternoon Marcus. This is Ichabod Crane, and I have two queries for you. One, if Ms. Yolanda is on duty, and if she is may I please speak with her?" Ichabod questioned looking in the general direction the voice came from.

"One moment Sir" the cheerful voice answered kindly.

"NorthStar, this is Yolanda" a familiar voice called, in a perky tone.

"Oh, My dear Yolanda" Ichabod sighed, grateful to hear his faceless alley's voice.

"Mr. Crane" she responded, the hint of a smile in her voice "How may I assist you today?"

"Well, I shall like to know if your situation with your mate ever rectified its self after our talk? Also, there seems to be a singing Prince? I would like some information on him, if you would be so kind?"


End file.
